Black Dog
by Ghostwriter
Summary: Trackers 1. When their parents go missing, Dean recruits a willing Sam and his girlfriend Jessica to search for them.
1. Prologue: The Night It All Started

BLACK DOG

DISCLAIMER

My other AU fic, in which Sam is actually more receptive to hunting. He still goes to college, but for a different reason than in the show. This will have some elements of both the Pilot and Provenance episodes. Supernatural belongs to the WB, which will soon be the CW. I only own the plot. The prologue's basically the beginning of the Pilot, only tweaked to make this work.

PROLOGUE: THE NIGHT IT ALL STARTED

LAWRENCE, KANSAS

22 YEARS AGO

Outside, everything was deceptively calm. Unnoticed by anything else, something made a tree branch bend. Inside the home, footsteps were heard as a woman carried her four-year old son into a nursery. Her name was Mary Winchester. The woman had blonde hair and brown eyes, and was wearing a simple white nightgown.

"Come on. Let's say good night to your brothers," she said, flipping on the light. She set her son down and he ran over to the crib where two identical twin babies were watching them.

"Good night, Sam. Good night, Casey," the boy said, kissing them both. _They look so peaceful_, he thought. He grinned. He loved being a big brother.

"Good night loves," Mary cooed, kissing her children. _Oh, they're so beautiful_, she thought to herself. She felt so blessed to have three handsome young boys.

"Hey, Dean," a voice said lovingly.

"Daddy!" Dean cried, running to his father, John Winchester, who picked him up in his arms.

"Hey, buddy," he said, grunting as he lifted him up. "So, what do you think? You think Sammy and Casey are ready to toss around a football yet?" he asked. _Man, he's getting so big_, he thought proudly. He could hardly wait to see what his boys would look like when they were all grown up.

"No, Daddy," Dean answered with a laugh as he shook his head. His daddy was so silly. He knew they were only babies. Sammy and Casey wouldn't be ready to throw footballs for quite some time.

"You got him?" Mary asked.

"I got him," John confirmed as Mary went back to their bedroom. "Sweet dreams, boys." Sam and Casey cooed as their father turned out the light and took Dean to his own room. The clock ticked for several minutes, then suddenly stopped. Over the intercom, Mary heard her babies cry. She moaned as she awakened and turned on the light.

"John?" she queried, looking to the other side of the bed. Seeing that her husband wasn't there, she moaned and went to the nursery. She yawned as she entered the room. John was standing over the crib, looking at the boys.

"John, are they hungry?" she asked.

"Ssssh," he responded.

"Okay," she accepted. Apparently, her husband had it covered. She sighed. Hearing a crackling from the hallway, she left the room to investigate to see the hall light flickering. She tapped it. It still flickered. She tapped it again, and the light steadied.

"Hmm," she said. That had been weird. She'd have to talk to John in the morning. Hearing the t.v. she went to investigate. Her eyes widened. In front of the t.v. was her husband, sound asleep and and snoring! Then, who---?

"Oh, my gosh," she whispered. "Sammy, Casey!" she cried, running up the stairs as fast as she could. "Sammy! Casey!" Mary's scream woke John up.

"Mary?" he asked, jumping up from his chair. Something was wrong. He could feel it. "Mary!" he called, echoing his wife's frantic dash up the stairs. She met him in the halls, Sammy in her arms.

"Mary, what is it? What's wrong?" he asked.

"Dean! Grab Dean!" she exclaimed. It was then that he noticed the cut above her eye and a gash on Sam's tiny right wrist.

"Mary, you're both hurt," he said. Just then, there was a loud explosion and fire erupted. Sammy began to cry, as if in pain. John was certain the baby was scared.

"Daddy!" Dean exclaimed, coming into the halls. He wasn't sure what was going on. He had heard a loud noise. Mary moaned, and made movements as if she were going to faint. John quickly grabbed Sammy from her and thrust him into his Dean's arms.

"Take your brother outside as fast as you can! Don't look back! Now, Dean, go!" Dean did as he was told, running as fast as his four-year old legs could carrying him. John swiftly grabbed his wife and followed his son. Outside, Dean stood with Sammy in his arms, looking at the burning house with wide eyes. The fire---it was so big and loud. In his arms, Sammy cried.

"It's okay, Sam," he assured. And it was then that his four-year old heart made the promise that he would protect his brother no matter what. John came running out, Mary in his arms.

"Keep running, Dean! Go a little further!" he shouted. Dean did as he was told. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, and John instinctively covered his family with his own body. Minutes later, The Winchester family watched as fire trucks pulled up and vainly attempted to put out the roaring family. Admist the chaos, Mary woke up.

"John?" she murmured.

"It's okay, Mary. I'm here," her husband comforted.

"Oh, my gosh! Casey!" she exclaimed.

"Ssssh," he soothed.

"John, Casey was on the ceiling. Something murdered my baby," Mary sobbed.

"Sssssshhhhh," John comforted. Together, the family huddled together, each one shocked by the senseless death of one of their own.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Casey was killed by the same thing that killed Mary in the original series and in the exact same way, I just thought it'd be too graphic to show.


	2. Chapter One: Parties And Recruitment

DISCLAIMER

Supernatural belongs to the WB, which will soon be the CW. I got information on the Black Dog legend from the Supernatural Gate site. This mixes some elements of the Pilot and Provenance (mainly Dean's attitude towards Jess---pushing Sam towards her).

STANFORD UNIVERSITY

PRESENT DAY

Twenty-two-year old Sam Winchester sipped his beer and watched as his friends mingled together. He brushed his bangs out of his eyes and gave his shaggy blond hair a shake.

"Sam! Sam, hey!" his girlfriend, twenty-two-year old Jessica Moore cried. She had blond hair and brown eyes and was wearing a nurse's uniform, despite the fact that her boyfriend hadn't dressed up.

"What?" Sam asked.

"I can't believe you're not into this," Jessica said.

"Jess, we've gone over this," Sam reminded her, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. It was the same thing for the last two years. He and Jess would get into a big fight over his dislike of Halloween. But he couldn't very well tell his girlfriend that he hated the holiday because it was the one day of the year that made it more difficult to distinguish between humans and actual creatures. Jessica grabbed the collar of Sam's light blue jean jacket.

"Come on, Sam. I see Fred by the bar," she said.

"Okay, okay," he agreed. With a laugh, he allowed his girlfriend to pull him towards a table, where Fred Wyman, one of their closest friends was sitting. Jessica and Fred ordered shots while Sam stuck to his beer.

"Here's to Sam and his amazing LSAT victory," Jessica announced. She and Fred drank their shots, while Sam took a swig of his beer, being careful to not let his right jacket sleeve ride up.

"Okay, okay. Let's not go overboard," Sam said.

"Oh, so modest. Come on. You got a 174," Jessica reminded him.

"Is that good?" Fred asked.

"Scary good," Jessica confirmed.

"So, what's it like being the golden boy of the family?" Fred wondered. Sam blew out a breath.

"I...don't know. I tried their cells and all I got was their voice messages," he answered. And that worried him. It was one of Mom and Dad's main rules that you maintained contact at all times.

"Don't worry. I'm sure they're fine," Fred said. "So...have you picked where you gonna go?" he asked.

"Oh, um...I probably won't take the scholarship," Sam answered. The semester was almost through and then he'd leave and rejoin his family on hunts.

"What?" Jessica asked in disbelief. "Sam, wha---"

"Look, I didn't want to be here in the first place, but I made a deal with my mom," Sam responded. He had hated the idea of going away to college, but he had gotten an order, and he **never** disobyed one of Mom and Dad's orders.

"Oh, come on, man. You can go anywhere," Fred protested.

"Look, I'm not takin' the stupid scholarship, and that's that!" Sam shouted, jumping up. Man, how stupid were these guys? He ran off.

"Sam!" Jessica exclaimed, chasing after him. "Sam," she said, catching up with him.

"Man, I **knew** this was a bad idea," Sam stated.

"Come on. Come on, baby. Let's just go home," Jessica soothed. Sam just looked away. "Come on. Let's go home. I've got some cookie-scented candles that we could light, and---well---" she trailed off suggestively.

"What would I do without you?" Sam asked.

"Mmmm. Crash and burn," Jessica answered. He kissed her. As they kissed, time faded away and everyone else disappeared. Meanwhile, a black 1967 Chevy Impala had just pulled up to the campus parking lot. A man with military cropped dark hair stepped out of the car and headed for the building's entrance. Unnoticed by anyone, the man slipped through the door and began scanning the crowd. Seeing a tall, lanky man engaged in a deep lip-lock with a girl, he smirked.

"That's my boy," he approved. He made his way through the crowd until he was right behind him. Then, he cleared his throat. The boy jumped.

"Whoa. Easy, Tiger," Dean said.

"Dean?" Sam asked. His older brother laughed.

"Dean, what is it? What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"You look good. Not so burned out," Dean stated, ignoring the question. He had been pretty worried about his younger brother until Mom had ordered him to take a couple years off from hunting.

"Dean, what's going on?" Sam asked.

"Sam, who is this?" Jessica wondered.

"I was about to ask the same thing, Sammy," Dean stated with interest.

"Dean, this is my girlfriend, Jessica," Sam introduced the two.

"Wait a minute. Your brother Dean?" Jessica asked in recognition.

"Dang. Gotta say, Sammy. Picked a good one, little brother," Dean approved suggestively.

"Bite me," Sam responded. Then, "Dean, what's going on?"

"Family business, Sammy," Dean answered. Sam froze.

"Jess, excuse us," he requested. He and his brother walked off. "What's goin' on? Where's Mom and Dad?" he questioned worriedly.

"I don't know," Dean answered.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Sam snapped. How could Dean not know? He had been goin' out hunts with them, so he'd **have** to check in.

"I just keep gettin' their cells. I'm worried, Sammy," Dean said.

"When was the last time you heard from them?" Sam queried.

"Three days ago," Dean answered.

"And you waited until **now** to come and get me?" Sam demanded. Was his brother crazy? Why had he waited so long?

"They've disappeared before. I just figured it was one of those times," Dean defended.

"Not without keeping in touch. You know that's their number two rule," Sam pointed out.

"You're right. That's why I came and got you," Dean responded.

"What were they hunting?" Sam queried.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Dean checked. "I mean, you've got the apple pie life and---"

"Dean, what were they hunting?" Sam interrupted as they stopped by the Impala.

"They were lookin' into some mysterious deaths on a highway in Jericho," Dean replied.

"Woman in white?" Sam queried.

"No. Women have gone missing too," Dean questioned.

"So, what do you think?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. But---I---I need your help, little brother," Dean admitted.

"Okay. Let me pack my stuff and grab my bike, and we can book," Sam answered.

"It's only for the weekend, Sammy. You don't have to---" Dean began.

"Are you kidding? I can't **wait** to get back into hunting," Sam responded. And it was true too. He had been so bored these past two years. Hunting would perk him right up.

"All right. I'll wait," Dean accepted. Sam went up to his room and immediately began packing.

"Wait a minute. You're just taking off?" Jessica questioned as Sam secretly put a weapon in his duffel.

"Yep," Sam answered.

"But why?" Jessica wondered.

"My parents are missing. We gotta find 'em," Sam replied.

"But you have an interview on Monday," Jessica reminded him.

"Jess, I told you I'm not going," Sam responded.

"So, you're just taking everything with you and blowing off everything you've done for the last two years?" Jessica asked him. Sam blew out a breath.

"Jess, I know you're confused and disappointed in me, and I apologize. But I never wanted to be here. I only applied to Stanford because my parents ordered me to," he told her. When he had everything he owned in the duffel, he grabbed the keys to his red 1985 Honda 250 and went outside, Jessica at his heels.

"Wait! Sam!" she cried.

"What?" he snapped.

"Let me come with you," she said. He stared at his girlfriend. Was she serious? She wanted to go on a hunting trip?

"No, Jess. What I'm doing, it's really dangerous," he protested.

"Sammy! We goin' or what?" his brother demanded.

"Yeah. I'm comin'," he assured.

"So am I," Jessica announced. Sam and Dean turned to stare at her.

"Are you kidding me? I said 'no'," Sam stated.

"Sam, I may be your girlfriend, but you can't order me around," Jessica told him.

"Sammy, we don't have time for this. If she wants to tag along, give her a helmet, and let's book," Dean ordered. With a frustrated sigh, Sam grabbed a black and purple helmet from the glove box and handed it to his girlfriend, who triumphantly fastened the helmet to her head. Then, he grabbed his black helmet and strapped it on. Then, Sam kickstarted the bike and took off after Dean going faster than he had ever driven before.


	3. Chapter Two: Jericho

SHOUTOUTSANSWERS

Nicola Silvera (ch 1): Thanks. Hey, as long as you enjoy, don't worry about reviews. Thanks. Trade secret. I'd tell ya, but then I'd have to kill you. Thanks. I will.

Charmedsupernaturalfan: Thanks. Here's another update.

Jayme: Thanks. Here's more.

Spuffyshipper: Thanks. Yeah. I totally know what you mean. I hope not. I liked him. Well then, don't play those parts. Here's the update. Hope it's soon enough.

Windyfontaine: Thanks. I actually plan on using that line later. Thanks. I will.

DISCLAIMER

Supernatural belongs to the WB, which will soon be the CW. Story has elements of the "Pilot" and "Provenance" episodes. Got information on black dogs from the Supernatural Gate site. Info will be showing up later. As I was working on this, I heard "Carry On My Wayward Son" by Kansas. How cool is **that**?

It was morning when the three had finally arrived in Jericho. Sam and Jessica got off the motorcycle and walked up to Dean.

"Now what?" Sam queried.

"Well, first off, I give you your stuff back," Dean answered.

"Really?" Sam questioned. Dean laughed at the look on his brother's face.

"Dude, you look like Christmas or your birthday just came early," he stated.

"Come on, man. Don't hold out on me. Give me my stuff," his younger brother urged.

"All right, all right, all right. Hold your horses," the older man said. He went to to the Impala's trunk and opened it. Once it was open, Dean started taking out various weapons, credit cards, and i.d.'s. One of the i.d.'s dropped and Jessica picked it up. To her surprise, it bore the name Brian Setzer.

"Whoa. Wha---what in the world?" she asked.

"Huntin' ain't exactly a pro-ball career," came the older man's response. Sam took the stuff given to him and went back to his bike.

"How is that all gonna fit?" his girlfriend questioned, opening the glove box.

"There's a button inside the back of the seat. Press it," he responded. Jessica did as she was told and was surprised to see a bigger compartment slide out. She watched as Sam carefully hung the weapons in their proper places. Then, he threw all but one of the credit cards and i.d.'s on the floor. Once he was finished, he pressed the button again, and the bike returned to what it previously looked like.

"Hey Dean, how you doin' on your cards?" Sam asked.

"I'm good," Dean answered. "Oh, and uh...all your cards are up-to-date and ready for usage," he continued.

"Mom and Dad think of everything," Sam noted.

"Yeah," Dean agreed.

"You guys run credit card scams?" Jessica asked in disbelief. She hadn't known that Sam's family was so shady. Just what had she gotten herself into?

"Hey, all we do is apply. It's not our fault that they actually **send** us the cards," Sam defended. Jessica stared in surprise. Sam was actually condoning this? He had always been such a straight arrow back in Stanford.

"So, you two comin' or what?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," Sam answered.

"Well, then hurry it up. We gotta find a hotel," Dean told him.

"So, uh...who gonna pay?" Jessica asked.

"Chris Harding, of course," Dean responded with a grin.

"But of course," Sam said with a similar grin. With that, they went to their respective vehicles and headed for the nearest hotel. Once they got there, they stopped and headed for the desk.

"You guys havin' some kind of reunion?" the desk clerk asked.

"What are you talkin' about?" Dean questioned.

"The other two---Nancy and Peter Harding. They rented out a room for a whole month," the man replied. Jessica was confused, but Sam and Dean seemed to know who the clerk was talking about. Seconds later, she stood outside watching as Sam picked the lock on the door. It opened and they walked in. Dean went over to the nightstand, picked up a hamburger, and sniffed it. The man recoiled at the stench.

"Don't think they've been here for a couple of days at least," he noted. Meanwhile, Sam had been looking around the room. Suddenly, he knelt by the bed.

"Sam? What is it?" Jessica asked.

"Salt. Cat's eye shells. They were worried. Trying to keep something out," Sam noted.

"What are you talking about?" Jessica wondered.

"Salt and cat's eye shells are spirit deterrents. But the salt has to be ring to be effective," Sam explained. He looked to his brother. "What do you think they were hunting?" he questioned.

"I don't know," Dean admitted.

"Well, how come you didn't go with them?" Jessica asked.

"I was workin' my own gig down in Texas," Dean replied.

"Mom and Dad let you go on a hunting trip by yourself?" Sam asked, almost disbelievingly.

"Dude, I'm twenty-six," Dean defended.

"Well, yeah, but after the whole carnival fiasco, I thought---" Sam began to say.

"Dude, that **so** wasn't my fault! How was I supposed to know the chick was gonna have friends?" Dean interrupted defensively. As Sam and Dean bickered good-naturedly, Jessica's eyes traveled to the walls. She bit back a gasp at the number of newspapers and photos that were pinned to the wall.

"Guys, check this out," she requested. Immediately, the argument stopped and the brothers joined the girl.

"Wow," Sam commented.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again: the man's a master," Dean murmured.

"Guess we know what they were hunting," Sam said.

"What?" Jessica asked.

"Black dog," Sam and Dean replied together.

AUTHOR'S NAME

Brian Setzer is the name of one of the guys in the band The Stray Cats. And don't worry. This isn't ending any time soon. There's gonna be lots of research from Sam, Dean, and Jessica, and a lot more action.


	4. Chapter Three: Information

SHOUTOUTS\ANSWERS

Aogail: Yay! Long time, no see. Thanks. Hope this is soon enough.

La-mort: New reviewer. Cool. Thanks.

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Imbreena: New reviewer, yay! Thanks. Here's more.

Immortalwizardpirateelf-fan: New reviewer. Cool. What a mouthful. Thanks. Keep readin'. Hope this is soon enough. Your fic rocks.

Jayme: Thanks. Glad you like. Well, sit back and enjoy.

Spuffyshipper: Good. I'm glad. I know how you feel. Me too.Too true. Yep, he did. Pretty much. Here's an update. Hope it's soon enough.

DISCLAIMER

Supernatural belongs to the WB, which will soon be the CW. This will have some aspects of the Pilot and Provenance episdoes. I got the information on black dogs from the Supernatural Gate site. I also made up some stuff. I also got the explanation of of an E.M.F. and ozone from the Supernatural site, you know the one with the car that you click on and you can look at all the cool stuff. Anyone or anything you don't recognize is mine.

"A---what?" Jessica wondered.

"A black dog. Basically, they're apparitions with red eyes, they can appear and disappear at will, usually seen on road ways or highways, they **hate** churches, if they find one, they try to mess it up, and usually are signs of death: yours or somebody else's, like a family member for example," Dean explained.

"But where do we even start? This legend is as wide spread as Bloody Mary. I mean, you have stories from Britain, Bungay, Germany...there's a dozen more," Sam pointed out.

"You're right. We'll just have to do a little research, see where the most sightings have been," Dean responded.

"Sounds good," Sam approved.

"Yeah, my little trusty geek boy can't **wait** to throw himself back into the hunt," Dean grinned. Sam reached out and hand smacked him on the head.

"Ow! Jerk," Dean muttered. Jessica laughed.

"All right. Let's go into town, see what we can find out," Sam said. With that, the three walked out of the hotel and headed for town, going into a local diner, where a woman was just opening up.

"Hi," Sam greeted. She turned around.

"Oh! Hi," she responded.

"Hi. Sorry. We didn't mean to startle you," Sam apologized.

"Oh, no. That's okay. Can I help you?" she queried.

"Well, if you know a good hotel---" Dean started to slyly suggest.

"He's kidding," Sam interrupted. "Actually, my brother, sister, and I just moved here and we heard some stuff that kinda made us nervous, and we hoping you could put our minds at ease," he continued. Jessica tried not to stare at how easily the lie had come out of her boyfriend's mouth.

"Yeah, sure. Come on in," the woman invited. "By the way, I'm Christy," she told them as they all walked in.

"I'm Sam. This is Dean and that's Jessica," Sam introduced them, pointing to each in turn.

"Welcome to Jericho," Christy stated.

"Thanks," Sam said.

"Now you said you heard things that had made you nervous?" Christy checked.

"Yeah," Sam answered.

"What kind of things?" Christy wondered.

"Well, we've heard that the death rate was pretty high, and---" Sam trailed off.

"Yeah. It's terrible. People are just being murdered on the Centennial Highway," Christy reported.

"How?" Dean wondered.

"Why?" Jessica added.

"Well, I'm not sure of the 'why', but I can tell you 'how'," Christy responded.

"What do you mean?" Dean questioned.

"Well, according to what **I**'**ve** heard, everyone who's died had deep scratches on their chests---almost as if they had been mauled by something," Christy stated confidentially.

"What would do that?" Dean asked.

"I honestly have no clue," Christy answered.

"What about the police? Do they have any leads?" Sam queried.

"No. They're as stumped as everybody else," Christy stated.

"Thanks for your help. Listen, can we get some breakfast sandwiches to go?" Jessica requested.

"Sure. Fancy anything in particular?" Christy asked.

"Well, now that you mention it---" Dean responded.

"Uh, ham and eggs for all of us," Sam interrupted again. The woman began the process of making the breakfasts and Sam and Dean headed out the door. Sam smacked Dean upside the head.

"Ow! Dude, what was that for?" the older brother hissed.

"Why do you always have to flirt with everything that can walk?" came the whispered question.

"What's the matter, Sammy? Ain't gettin' any?" Dean mocked. He was smacked again. "Dude, if you don't quit that, I'm gonna find a woman in white and feed you to it," came the admonishment.

"It wouldn't work, Dean. I'm not unfaithful and I've never been," Sam responded.

"Food's ready!" Jessica called. She walked up to them and handed out two of the wrappers as they walked out the door.

"You know, somethin' don't make sense," Dean stated.

"What do you mean?" Jessica asked.

"These deaths---according to Christy, every victim has been mauled. Now, granted, I haven't faced many black dogs, but that just ain't their m.o," Dean replied.

"What about St. Mary's Church in Bungay in 1577? According to reports, church members were attacked by a black dog in the middle of a storm," Sam reminded him.

"Oh, yeah. That's right. It pulled a Morrison and went psycho, clawin' and tearin' into everything," Dean recalled.

"Do you think your parents heard the same story?" Jessica queried.

"Without a doubt," Dean confirmed.

"But if they knew what it was, why is this thing still breathin' air?" Sam wondered.

"Yeah. Mom and Dad wouldn't just abandon a hunt," Dean mused.

"So, what do you suggest we do?" Sam asked. Dean's brow furrowed in thought as he chewed.

"We go to the Centennial and dig around," he finally answered. With that, they walked towards the highway.

"Dean, shouldn't we get an E.M.F.?" Sam asked.

"Not yet. Let's get some more info first," Dean replied.

"E.M.F.?" Jessica repeated.

"Electromagnetic Field Meter. It measures the rate of change in a magnetic field. We---Sam and I---also use them to detect signs of the supernatural. You know, ghosts, demons, poltergeists, stuff like that," Dean explained.

"Oh," Jessica said. Presently, they come up on the highway. Jessica stopped them.

"Wait. Look," she told them.

"Cops," Dean said.

"There must've been another murder," Sam noted.

"Yep," Dean responded. Without a word, each reached inside a pocket and clipped their i.d.'s to their shirts.

"Stay here," Sam told her.

"But---" Jessica began to protest.

"**Stay here**," Sam insisted. Jessica huffed, but did as she was told. Sam and Dean walked up to where the officers were talking over a mutilated body.

"What happened here?" Dean questioned.

"Who are you?" one of the officers asked.

"Federal marshals," Dean replied.

"Kinda young, ain't ya?" the officer asked.

"Thanks. You're too kind," Sam answered. "So...anyway, what happened here?" he continued.

"From the looks of it, he was drivin', and somethin' attacked him," the second officer responded.

"Can we see the body?" Sam requested. For an answer, the man lifted up the sheet.

"Yuck," Sam said.

"Now **that**'**s** just gross," Dean commented.

"Certainly not a pretty sight," the officer agreed.

"Now, from what I understand, this isn't the first time something like this has happened," Sam said.

"No. There have been others," the officer confirmed.

"Do the victims have anything in common besides the fact that they all died right here?" Dean queried.

"No. It's like, they're all being picked at random. I'd say we definitely have a serial killler though," the officer answered.

"Well, that's just the kind of crack police work I'd expect from you," Dean said. Sam stifled a laugh. The officers turned to look at him.

"Um, sorry. I got somethin' stuck in my throat," the younger boy apologized.

"We'll be in touch," Dean promised. The two brothers quickly walked away.

"Dude, you can't act like that when we're working. I nearly blew our cover," Sam chided.

"Sorry, man. I just can't believe how inept some people can be," Dean replied.

"Yeah, I know," Sam agreed.

"Well?" Jessica asked.

"There was significant ozone comin' from the car," Dean replied.

"Ozone?" Jessica replied.

"Spirits leave a form of unstable gaseous oxygen from electric discharge or exposure to ultraviolet radiation, which we call ozone," Sam explained.

"The ability to smell the stuff differs from person to person, especially if you don't know what it is you're smellin'. However, most people can smell when it's about .015 ppmv," Dean added.

"So, what we do now?" Jessica wondered.

"Go back to the hotel and get a couple of guns," Dean replied.

"What?" Jessica asked.

"Hey, I ain't goin' up against a black dog without some rock salt," Dean responded. They headed back for the hotel.

"What did I get myself into?" Jessica muttered.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

The line "It pulled a Morrison" isn't **exactly** related to Jimmy Morrison, although I **was** thinkin' of him when I wrote it. It was more of a general thing referencing the fact that some rock 'n' roll greats often trashed their hotel rooms. What do you guys think so far? Is it good enough to be turned into a series, or do you think I should stop once the fic's over?


	5. Chapter Four: Black Dog And A Surprise

SHOUTOUTS\ANSWERS

Mimifoxlove: That's okay. I totally understand. Good luck with that. Yeah, I know this Sam is quite different from the one we all know and love, but since this is gonna be a series, I'm gonna cover that as I go along. I agree with you that education is important, but as stated earlier in the fic, Sam had been ordered to go to college, but didn't necessarily **want** to, so for him---in this universe at least---the scholarship's no big deal. No prob. I enjoyed it.

Kokomocalifornia: Glad you approve. Yeah, I totally agree.

Midnight.Heartbeat: New reviewer! Awesome! Thanks. Glad you like. Thanks for the pointer, but I **think** that the 'm' comes from 'magnetic' so it **would** be EMF. Thanks. I will. Hope this is soon enough.

Windyfontaine: Thanks. Glad you think so. I don't see why not. Thanks. But of course. Yeah, I got a **lot** of ideas running around in my head. Thanks. That's true.I will.

4everdreaming: New reviewer...I think. Good to see ya. Thanks. Uh, not **quite** what I was workin' with, but I'll take it into consideration. No guarantees though. Thanks. I will. Hope this is soon enough.

Spuffyshipper: Thanks. Hope this is soon enough. Okay. Me too. Yep.

Immortalwizardpirateelf-fan: Thanks. No prob. I will. Glad you approve. Read on and see. Hmm. Good point indeed.

Jayme: Thanks. Okay.

Robbie the Phoenix: Alrighty then. I know what **your** vote is. Glad you think so. Your opinion is very valuable. Okay.

Imbreena: Glad you liked it. Here's more.

DISCLAIMER

Supernatural belongs to the WB, which will soon be the CW. Has some elemnts of the Pilot and Provenance episodes, along with a couple of lines from the Pilot that were just so dang good. Any information on black dogs is from the Supernatural Gate site.

That night, Sam, Jessica, and Dean were back at the highway. Sam and Dean were carrying guns, but Jessica was unarmed, much to Sam's unease.

"So, tell me again what we're doing here," Jessica requested.

"Well, we **think** we're dealing with a black dog, but we need to be sure," Sam replied.

"And if we are?" Jessica wondered.

"Rock salt/silver combo will smoke its' butt," Dean answered, cocking his gun.

"Really?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah. That's what **I** remember," Sam replied. They approached a railing. Suddenly, they heard growling.

"Sam?" Jessica asked nervously.

"It's here," Sam realized. He and Dean took defensive stances and pointed their weapons.

"Jess, I want you to get out of here," Sam stated.

"No," Jessica said.

"Jess---" Sam's voice trailed off as a black dog with sinister red eyes suddenly appeared. It growled.

"Run!" Sam shouted. The three took off, the dog hot on their trail. It began to bark. The brothers let out a shot. However, the canine kept coming.

"I thought you said it didn't attack!" Jessica cried.

"Run now, nitpick later!" Dean shouted. The three continued to run. Without even thinking, they each jumped the bridge railing. Sam panted and looked around from his position on the railing.

"Jess! Dean!" he called.

"Right here," his girlfriend replied. He looked to see her about two inches below him.

"Oh, thank God," he sighed in relief. "Dean!" he yelled.

"What?" came the annoyed question. Sam and Jessica looked down to see Dean lying in the mud.

"Hey! You okay?" the younger Winchester asked.

"Peachy keen, Pinky Lee," came the response. Sam laughed.

"Dude, you gotta stop watchin' _Grease_," he said, jumping down.

"Hey! You promised to never mention that!" his older brother exclaimed in mock-anger. Sam laughed again as he held out his arms for girlfriend to jump into. Then, the two sniffed the air.

"Dude, you smell like a toilet," Sam complained. Dean threw him a dirty look. They headed back for their hotel room, where Dean promptly entered the bathroom to take a shower. Meanwhile, Sam began looking around the room.

"What are you looking for?" Jessica asked.

"Coordinates. Mom and Dad often leave us a set if they have to leave us by ourselves," Sam replied.

"So you think they're not here?" Jessica queried.

"I really don't know. But it can't hurt to check," Sam answered. Jessica nodded. That made sense. Jessica looked at her watch.

"Wow. I didn't realize it was so late. You want me to grab us somethin' to eat?" she offered.

"Yeah. That'd be great," he responded. "Actually, you know what? Let me grab my cell and I'll go with you," he continued. He grabbed his cell phone, turned it on, and then crossed over to the bathroom door and opened it just enough so that his brother could hear him.

"Dean, Jess and I are gonna grab a bite, you want us to bring you anything?" he called.

"Burger, fries, and a coke!" came the answer.

"Okey-doke," Sam responded. Then, "That...wasn't supposed to rhyme." As he closed the door and turned away, he heard a faint chuckle.

"So, what does he want?" Jessica wondered.

"Oh, just his usual order of burger, fries, and a coke," Sam told her. Then they walked out of the hotel. They had only gone a little out of sight when Sam's phone rang. Surprised, he looked down at the number. It was Dean.

"Talk to me," the younger boy said.

"Dude, 5-0. Take off," his brother instructed.

"What about you?" Sam wondered. Jessica looked at him in confusion. What was going on?

"Yeah. They, uh, already kinda spotted me," Dean responded.

"Okay," Sam said. Then, he snapped his cell phone off.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Jessica asked.

"Cops. Come on. We gotta go," Sam replied. With that, he took her arm and led her away from the hotel. Meanwhile, Dean was taken down to the station.

"You're in a lot of trouble, boy," the sheriff told him.

"We talkin' 'forgot to clean my room' trouble or 'Daddy's comin' at me with a shotgun' trouble?" Dean quipped.

"This ain't no joke, boy. You've exhibited some awfully strange behavior," the sheriff stated.

"What are you talkin' about?" Dean wondered.

"Well, for starters, let's deal with your fake marshal badge and your fake credit cards. Is there anything about you that's real?" the sheriff asked.

"My boobs," Dean answered, smirking.

"I'm not playing around, boy," the sheriff snarled, slamming a hand on the desk. Dean didn't even flinch. "I want to know what you have to do with these attacks," the man continued.

"Right. 'Cuz I'm obviously Freddy Kruger," Dean said sarcastically.

"Fine, you won't talk to me about the attacks. Maybe you'll explain **these** to me," the sheriff stated. He threw two books onto the desk. Dean felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. It couldn't be. They wouldn't leave town without them. But it was. Dean knew it was. He and Sam had seen them and read them enough times to know what they were with their eyes closed. On the desk lay Mom and Dad's journals.


	6. Chapter Five: Attack

SHOUTOUTS\ANSWERS

Charmedsupernaturalfan: Thanks. Glad you like.

Robbie the Phoenix: Yep. I thought it'd be cool. Thanks. Glad you think so. See ya.

Aogail (ch 4): Thanks. Glad you think so. Yeah, it is.

Jayme: Thanks. Glad you like.

Windyfontaine: Verbal reactions are good. Thanks. Yeah, I thought it'd be cool. Thanks. I will.

Master Li: New reviewer! Yay! Glad you like. I will.

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Spuffyshipper: Thanks. Glad you approve. Oh, I totally understand. When you're sick your brain goes into "Fire bad, tree pretty" mode. Hmm. Maybe...maybe not. Here's an update, hope it's soon enough.

Immortalwizardpirateelf-fan: Thanks. I will.

DISCLAIMER

Supernatural belongs to the WB, which will soon be the CW. Has some elements of the Pilot and "Provenance" episodes. I only own the plot and anything and anyone you don't recognize. And even if I don't put it, whenever Sam and Jessica are on the Honda 250, they'll always wear helmets. And I don't usually swear, but there's a situation that calls for it.

Dean stared, trying to come to grips with the evidence in front of him. Why had Mom and Dad left their journals here?

"So, **Dean**, are you going to tell me what **this** means?" the sheriff queried, tossing a piece of paper at him. Dean stared at the combination: **H: 2, 42**.

"It's my high school locker combo," Dean lied.

"Boy, I don't---" Just then, one of the deputies came up.

"Sheriff, I just got a 9-1-1 call from dispatch. Shots fired at Canyon Road," the deputy reported.

"You need the restroom?" the sheriff asked.

"No," Dean answered. What was this guy gettin' at?

"Good," the sheriff replied. With that, he slid a cuff over Dean's wrist and placed the other cuff around the chair. Satisfied that his prisoner wasn't going anywhere, he left. However, there was one thing that the man hadn't realized: Dean was a Winchester, and he could get free from practically anything. Dean looked around until he spotted what he was looking for: a paper clip. Seconds later, he was free and on his way out, journals and paper in hand. The journals were necessary, and hey. You never knew if you were gonna be in the same situation twice. Seeing the officers, Dean scrunched up against a wall. The officers talked for a little bit, and then walked on. Dean hurried out the door, where he felt someone grab his shoulder. Dean let out an exclamation of surprise.

"Easy, Tiger," a voice joked.

"Sammy!" Dean cried. Then, "Fake 9-1-1 phone call? Pretty smooth, Sammy."

"Yeah, what's one more felony, right?" Sam joked. Dean laughed.

"What are those?" Jessica questioned, noting the books.

"Aren't those---" Sam's voice trailed off.

"Mom and Dad's journals," Dean confirmed.

"They left Jericho?" Sam queried.

"Apparently," Dean replied as Sam took their mother's journal. "By the way, they left us coordinates," he told them.

"Where?" Sam wondered.

"H: 2, 42," Dean answered.

"That's Lacrosse, Wisconsin," Sam stated.

"Dude, how do you do that?" Dean wondered.

"Hey, high school geography had to be good for **somethin**'," Sam shrugged. Then, "Speaking of journals, where's **mine**?"

"Trunk of the Impala. I'll give it to you when I get a chance," Dean told him.

"What do we do now?" Sam wondered.

"We need to go back to the hotel, grab our stuff, and regroup," Dean answered. "Now, where's my car?" he continued.

"Up a little way ways. Didn't want the cops gettin' their hands on it. And Jess and I already got everything out of the hotel," Sam assured.

"Good. You work fast," Dean approved.

"Well, duh. It's kind of necessary," Sam responded.

"True," Dean agreed. They walked back to where the Impala and motorcycle were parked.

"You know, Dean, I was thinking---" Sam began.

"Well, **that**'**s** never good," Dean interrupted jokingly.

"Maybe we should get another hotel. At least for Jessica," Sam said.

"No way. Absolutely not," Jessica responded, folding her arms.

"Jess, this is deeply dangerous and---" Sam began.

"Sam, I am not gonna let some stupid ghost dog push me around. Now, if you wanna smoke some tail, let's go," Jessica interrupted. With that, she stomped towards her boyfriend's bike.

"Sammy, marry that girl," Dean suggested firmly.

"I plan to...eventually," Sam responded. Then, Dean got into the Impala and Dean joined Jessica on his bike. The two took off. They had only gone a few miles when they heard the growling.

"Sam?" Jessica asked nervously.

"Yeah. I hear it," Sam confirmed. He looked in the rearview mirror to see his brother's car. The headlights flashed.

"What?" Jessica asked in confusion.

"Morse code. He's tellin' me to be careful," Sam answered. _I will_, he flashed back. The growling came again.

"Come on, you freak. Where are ya?" Sam muttered. The growling became louder and closer. Suddenly, a large, black dog with red eyes appeared in front of them!

"Jess, I want you to get off the bike," Sam said.

"No," Jessica stated.

"JESS! GET OFF THE DAMN BIKE NOW!" Sam hollered. Jessica carefully stood up and then jumped. The dog lunged towards the bike. Sam slammed on the brakes and the bike skidded, making a squealing noise.

"Sam!" he heard his brother call. Sam grunted as he hit the ground. The dog growled and covered him. Sam groaned as it put its paws on his shoulders and pinned him there.

"Sam!" Dean shouted again. Sam found himself frozen into the piercing gaze of the dog's hostile red eyes.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I believe I have the coordinates for Lacrosse, Wisconsin right. I checked my world atlas, but I'm by no means an expert. If I'm wrong, please tell me.


	7. Chapter Six: Leaving Normal

DISCLAIMER

Supernatural belongs to the WB, which will soon be the CW. I only own the plot. Will have some elements of the Pilot and "Provenance" episodes.

Sam swallowed noisely. He tried to throw the canine off, but it remained ontop of him. Sam grabbed a paw and tried to lift it up. The paw dropped. Then the dog's paws raked across his shoulder. Sam screamed in pain. The claws moved from the shoulder and onto his chest. Sam screamed again.

"HEY!" The dog looked up. Dean wasted in no time in firing. The dog disappeared momentarily. Sam panted and tried to get up, but the dog reappeared and started to attack again. There was another shot. This time, it disappeared for good.

"Sammy!" Dean cried, as he and Jessica ran up. Sam groaned as he started to sit up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy, easy," Dean coached.

"Oh, man. I hate black dogs," Sam groaned.

"Yeah. That's why Mom and Dad didn't let us fight many of them," Dean stated.

"He's lost some blood here," Jessica noted.

"Oh, I've lost more than this before. But we should probably get some holy water on it," Sam groaned.

"Good idea," Dean agreed. "Come on. Let's get him up," he said. His brother and girlfriend helped him up.

"Okay, can you make it to the car?" Dean checked.

"You're really gonna let me in the Impala like this?" Sam queried.

"Well, as long as you don't bleed on it," Dean answered. Sam laughed painfully.

"Dude---chest," he reminded his brother.

"Sorry, Sammy," Dean apologized. He opened the back door of his car and gently eased his brother onto the back of the seat.

"Jess, I want you to open the trunk and grab a little clear bottle. It's got holy water. Oh, and grab a knife. Sammy's gonna need it," Dean stated, tossing the girl his keys. Jessica did as she was told and then came back with the bottle and a hunting knife.

"Here you go," Jessica said, handing them over.

"Thanks," Dean responded as he removed Sam's shirt.

"What do you need the knife for?" Jessica wondered.

"Somethin' to clamp down on. Holy water stings like the devil," Dean answered. He placed the knife in his brother's mouth. Then, he unscrewed the bottle and poured the holy water on his brother's chest. Sam groaned and gritted his teeth against the knife.

"Sorry, Sammy. I know this hurts," Dean apologized.

"I don't understand. Why is this stuff hurting him?" Jessica asked.

"Holy water drives out demons. Black dogs are part demon. By pouring the holy water on him, we lessen the chances of Sammy being infected," Dean answered, not stopping his cleansing process. Sam continued to groan. Finally, they were done. Sam pulled his shirt towards him.

"Sam, that's all ripped and bloody," Jessica reminded him.

"It's not ripped too badly and I can wash it at the next hotel," Sam replied. Then, "How's my bike?"

"It's doing okay. Not a scratch on it," Jessica assured. Sam blew out a relieved sigh.

"Thank God," he said.

"I've gotta say. I can see why you guys are so into this. It's kind of a rush," Jessica stated.

"Yeah. It's great, huh?" Sam grinned.

"But not great enough to totally blow off a law school interview that's basically your whole future on a plate," Jessica declared.

"Law school? Way to go, Sammy," Dean congratulated.

"Ah, it's no big deal. Just some stupid, unimoportant **thing** that would be huge if I didn't know what I knew," Sam dismissed.

"You know, you are **completely** different than any other guy I've ever met," Jessica declared.

"Well, I gave up on normal when I told my parents I was afraid of the thing in my closet and they gave me a .45," Sam stated.

"Yeah. You bagged a monster single-handedly at nine years old," Dean recalled with a grin.

"My first solo kill. It was great," Sam smiled.

"Okay, enough chick-flickiness. Let's just bail," Dean said. Sam and Jessica laughed. They walked back to their vehicles and Sam was relieved to find that his motorcycle was unscathed.

"Come on, Jess. We'll take you home," Sam said. They took off together, and even from his position behind the Impala, Sam could hear _AC_\_DC_ blaring out of the speakers. _Highway to hell? Well, as long as we don't end up there_, Sam thought to himself. Presently, they were back in Palo Alto and back at Stanford. Sam sighed as he cut the engine and Jessica dismounted from the bike and took off her helmet.

"You sure you don't want to come with?" he queried.

"Sam, this was kinda neat, but...I don't think I could do this full time. It's just not me," Jess told him.

"You sure?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. Just keep in touch with us," Jessica requested. He kissed her deeply and passionately. Dean averted his gaze and messed up the back of his hair with his hands. Then, the two parted and she walked back into the dorms. Then, Sam and Dean started out. Jessica walked down the hallway. She frowned, noticing the door was ajar. Sam's foot tapped nervously. They had to go back. There was---there was something wrong. He could just feel it. Sighing, he turned around. Noticing the movement, Dean did the same.

"Sammy, what is it?" he asked, coming along side him.

"We need to go back. There's something wrong," Sam stated.

"Yeah. All right," Dean agreed. They gunned their engines and headed back to Stanford. Back at the dorm, Jessica had just opened the door all the way only to see an empty apartment. Something fell on her hand. Her brows furrowed in confusion at the red dot. Another dot appeared on her hand and her eyes widened in horror as she realized it was blood. Wha---her gaze turned to the ceiling and her mouth dropped. Her twin sister, Rachel, was directly above her, stomach gutted!

"NO!" Jessica shrieked. A moment later, the room burst into flames! Just then, a man materialized in the apartment and she was thrown against a wall. Sam and Dean parked, only stopping long enough to grab shotguns, and then raced through the dorm room. Seeing the door ajar, they quickened their pace.

"Jess?" Sam called. Jessica felt something tearing her face and she cried out as she felt the stickiness.

"Jess!" she heard Sam yell. Then she heard the crashing of a door as it was smashed in. Dean raised his shotgun and fired. The man disappeared and Jessica ran to Sam.

"Rachel! She was on the ceiling!" Jessica exclaimed.

"Come on. We gotta get outta here," Sam said, urgently pulling Jessica towards the room. The man reappeared. As his eyes flashed yellow, Sam felt a burning sensation on his right wrist and he cried out in pain. Ignoring the torment, he steadied his weapon and fired. Once the demon was gone, Sam, Jessica, and Dean used the momentary lull to flee.

"Rachel. She was---she was on the ceiling," Jessica said as she was placed on the seat of the Impala.

"Your face. What did he do to your beautiful face?" Sam questioned, fingering the gash. Dean handed Sam a cloth covered in holy water, which he placed on his girlfriend's face.

"Ow," she whimpered.

"Sorry," he apologized. Once he was finished, Dean took the cloth.

"You okay?" the older man asked.

"Why---why did that man take Rachel?" Jessica wondered.

"He wasn't a man. He was a demon. And I don't know why he took your sister anymore than I know the reason he took our brother," Sam responded.

"What do you want to do now?" Dean asked gently.

"I want to find this thing again. I want to find it and figure out how to kill it," Jessica answered. Sam and Dean looked at each other, and then at Jessica.

"We got work to do," Sam declared. With that, Dean got into the Impala, and Sam and Jessica got on the bike. Then, they rode out of town.

THE END

WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT TIME

Next time on _Trackers_: Sam, Jessica, and Dean investigate when men mysteriously die after being drained of energy. Can they find out what's going on before it's too late? Find out next time on: _Trackers_.


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